To become a Canadian citizen, you must

• be a permanent resident
• have lived in Canada for 3 out of the last 5 years
• have filed your taxes, if you need to
• pass a test on your rights, responsibilities and knowledge of Canada
• prove your language skills

Depending on your situation, there may be additional requirements.

Anyone who plans to visit Canada must apply from outside of Canada before they travel.

What your friend or family member needs depends on:

• the type of travel document they will travel with;
• the country that issued their travel document;
• their nationality; and
• how they will travel to Canada.

Before applying, find out what document(s) they need.

If they need a visitor visa, you may provide your family member or friend with a letter of invitation in support of their visa application. A letter of invitation can help, but it does not guarantee the person will get a visa.

Your common-law partner:

• isn’t legally married to you
• can be either sex
• is 18 or older
• has been living with you for at least 12 consecutive months, meaning:
  • you’ve been living together continuously for one year, without any long periods apart
  • if either of you left your home it was for:
    • family obligations
    • work or business travel
  • any time spent away from each other must have been:
    • short
    • temporary

When at least one partner chooses to end the relationship, we consider the partnership to be over.

You will need to give proof of your common-law relationship.

Each application is unique and is hard to tell how long the processing time will be. It also depends upon the visa office where the file is submitted that how much backlog the office is experience and in which category the application is submitted.

You need a valid permanent resident (PR) card to return to Canada by plane, train, bus or boat. If you know your card will expire when you’re travelling, renew it before you leave. You can only renew your card in Canada. Canada does not send PR cards to non-Canadian addresses and don’t allow third parties to get them for you.

If you’re outside Canada and don’t have a valid PR card, you need a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) to return to Canada. You can only apply for a PRTD from outside Canada. If you try to return to Canada without a PR card or PRTD, you may not be able to take your flight, train, bus or boat to Canada

No. Marrying a Canadian citizen doesn’t give you citizenship.

If you want to become a Canadian citizen, you must follow the same steps as everyone else. There isn’t a special process for spouses of Canadian citizens.

You must meet several requirements to apply for citizenship. You must be physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the 5 years right before the date you applied. This includes time as a

• permanent resident
• temporary resident (lawfully authorized to remain in Canada)
• protected person

Your Canadian spouse can sponsor you to become a permanent resident if you

• don’t live in Canada, or
• aren’t a permanent resident

You may apply for citizenship if you

• are a permanent resident
• have been physically present in Canada long enough
• meet the other requirements

There are different rules to determine if children of Canadians born outside Canada have Canadian citizenship.

A Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) is a document that an employer in Canada may need to get before hiring a foreign worker.

A positive LMIA will show that there is a need for a foreign worker to fill the job. It will also show that no Canadian worker or permanent resident is available to do the job. A positive LMIA is sometimes called a confirmation letter.

If the employer needs an LMIA, they must apply for one.

Once an employer gets the LMIA, the worker can apply for a work permit.

To apply for a work permit, a worker needs

• a job offer letter
• a contract
• a copy of the LMIA, and
• the LMIA number

An open work permit is a work permit that is not job-specific. Because it is not job-specific, you will not need the following when you apply for your work permit:

• a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada, or
• proof that an employer has submitted an offer of employment through the Employer Portal and paid the employer compliance fee

In most cases, you will have to pay the open work permit holder fee at the same time that you pay the work permit fee.

You may be eligible for an open work permit if you

• are an international student who graduated from a designated learning institution and are eligible for the Post-Graduation Work Permit Program
• are a student who’s no longer able to meet the costs of your studies (destitute student)
• have an employer-specific work permit and are being abused or at risk of being abused in relation to your job in Canada
• applied for permanent residence in Canada
• are a dependent family member of someone who applied for permanent residence
• are the spouse or common-law partner of a skilled worker or international student
• are the spouse or common-law partner of an applicant of the Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program
• are a refugee, refugee claimant, protected person or their family member
• are under an unenforceable removal order
• are a temporary resident permit holder
• are a young worker participating in special programs

In each of these situations, you must meet additional criteria to be eligible.

It depends on the immigration status of your spouse. If your spouse or common-law partner is a permanent resident, they can work in Canada.

If your spouse or common-law partner is in Canada on a temporary resident (visitor) visa, they have to apply for a work permit to be able to work.

Your spouse or common-law partner can apply for a work permit from inside Canada if:

• they have a temporary resident permit that is valid for six months or more; or
• they have applied for permanent residence under the Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada – archived class; or
• they are eligible to apply for a work permit supported by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) – an authorization from Employment and Social Development Canada an employer needs to hire a foreign worker; or
• they are eligible to apply for a work permit based on an exemption from the LMIA process.